Magnetoresistive element and magnetic memory allowing high density

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EP 1 403 875 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	01.12.2004 Bulletin 2004/49

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	31.03.2004 Bulletin 2004/14

(21)	Application number: 03256043.5

(22)	Date of filing: 25.09.2003

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: G11C 11/16

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK

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Priority:

30.09.2002 JP 2002287412

(71)	Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
	Tokyo 105-8001 (JP)

(72)	Inventors:
	Kai, Tadashi c/o Intellectual Property Division Minato-ku Tokyo (JP) Takahashi, S. c/o Intellectual Property Division Minato-ku Tokyo (JP) Ueda, Tomomasa c/o Intellectual Property Division Minato-ku Tokyo (JP) Kishi, Tatsuya c/o Intellectual Property Division Minato-ku Tokyo (JP) Saito, Yoshiaki c/o Intellectual Property Division Minato-ku Tokyo (JP)

(74)	Representative: Granleese, Rhian Jane
	Marks & Clerk, 57-60 Lincoln's Inn Fields London WC2A 3LS London WC2A 3LS (GB)

(54)	Magnetoresistive element and magnetic memory allowing high density

(57) There are provided a first reference layer (2c), in which a direction of magnetization is fixed, and a storage layer (2e) including a main body (3), in which a length in an easy magnetization axis direction (5) is longer than a length in a hard magnetization axis direction, and a projecting portion (4) provided to a central portion of the main body (3) in the hard magnetization axis direction, a direction of magnetization of the storage layer (2e) being changeable in accordance with an external magnetic field.

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